Secret Lies with Charlotte
by Marras
Summary: Ben has a friend who has promised to help him to find the Templar Treasure. What he doesn't know is that his friend, Charlotte, is not complitely what she seems to be.  Who can be trusted?
1. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

**Disclaimer**:

I do not own the plot of National Treasure nor the characters from it. All belongs to Walt Disney.

Charlotte however is my character and her life story etc belongs to me.

* * *

I came up with this idea of a story when I saw National Treasure first time. I didn't write it earlier than now so I'll be uploading the story as I can write it.

I got so interested in the idea of "Secret Lies With Charlotte" –clue that I had advance it. I hope this not going to be just another boring OC story but something interesting.

I didn't know if I should put AU to the title, what do you think?

English isn't my native language (Finnish is) so feel free to tell me about grammar errors and all related to that.

Reviews are always nice. Hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 1:  The Tip of the Iceberg

Chapter 1 – Tip of the Iceberg

_North of the Arctic Circle_

Computer started beeping loudly. Charlotte leaned over to see the display. They had reached the place where the ship that might contain clue about the treasure should be.  
Ben stopped the vehicle, opened the door and stood out. The gazed at the field of snow as others came of the vehicle. Charlotte looked around.  
"That's quite a search we have head of us, isn't it?" Ian asked.  
"Well, we'd better start then," Charlotte stated.

Ben walked around with a metal detector as did everyone else. They looked like a pack of birds moving to south for winter. Soon the detector found something and Ben dropped to his knees and started digging. Charlotte noticed this from further and came to Ben.  
"You found something?" she asked.  
Ben didn't need to answer because his pickaxe hit something metal. He wiped the snow and melted it and there it was – the name Charlotte in the bell of the ship.  
"We found her," Ben said.

After few hours of work to reveal the ship, they sat on the deck of it – or at least what was left of the deck.  
"If you hadn't shown up two years ago, I probably wouldn't have found this," Ben said to Ian as they sat next to each others.  
"You would, I'm sure of it. That's why I didn't think it was as crazy investment as everyone said. And anyway, it wasn't me who came to you. You should thank your friend over there for telling me about the whole thing," Ian answered and pointed to Charlotte.  
Charlotte turned to them.  
"Well, I always thought that Ben needed someone to fund him. It was just a good luck that I ran into you in that fundraising party in New York," she said and smiled.  
"Good luck indeed. We have come further than father during his search. But, let's go then!" Ben stated.

Under the deck there was no other light than their flash lights. Not to mention it was colder down there. They circled around until Ben found the door that would lead them to cargo hold. Everyone was excited and they thought they would finally find the treasure. But when Ben opened the door there was nothing. Not a single glitter of gold.  
"Do you think it's in the barrels?" Riley suggested.  
All but Ben and Charlotte grabbed a barrel and opened them. Nothing.  
"Gunpowder," Ian stated.  
Ben didn't hear him because he had just found something interesting. Charlotte on the other hand walked around and looked at the structures of the ship. Until she heard Ben saying,  
"Why would the captain be guarding this barrel?"  
Charlotte looked at Ben over her shoulder.  
"I found something!" Ben soon shouted and everyone gathered closer.  
"What is it?" Riley asked.  
When the package was opened, there was a meerschaum pipe. After studying the pipe, Ben took off the handle. He cut his thumb and covered the handle with his blood. Then he took his notebook and pressed and rolled the handle against a page.  
"It's another clue," Ben stated, "The legend writ, the stain affected. The key in Silence undetected. Fifty-five in iron pen, Mr. Matlack can't offend."  
He moved so that he could sit down. Charlotte moved closer to door they came in from and thought about the clue. It had been the same for quite a time, since she met Ben.

A few years ago Ben came to Charlotte's office in National Museum of American History. He started to tell her about the treasure of Knights Templar and took a risk by doing that – no one until that had believed him. For some reason, he thought that this woman would believe her. And she did. Mostly because she was interested about secret societies and all related to them but also because she had heard about the Gates family before.  
Back then, Charlotte tried to get the museum to fund the search but didn't succeed. She started to study the case with Ben by her own time and money. They even dated for a while but noticed it didn't work because of the obsession of Ben and stubbornness of Charlotte. They remained friends and continued to work together.  
Then two years ago she met Ian Howe in fundraising party and became friends with him. On one lunch she told him what she was doing with Ben and Ian became interested and contacted Ben. And now, here they all were, a clue closer to the treasure – once again.

Charlotte woke up from her thoughts when she heard the words Declaration of Independence. She lifted her head and looked at Ben.  
"The Declaration of Independence? Are you sure?"  
"I'm sure. And we are now on a dead end," Ben answered.  
"We could borrow it," Ian suggested.  
"You mean steal it?"  
Ben stared Ian who didn't even blink.  
"In other life, I arranged operations of… Questionable legality," Ian continued.  
Charlotte met Ben's eyes for a second before he changed his gaze from Shaw, Ian's henchman, and then back to Ian.  
"I'd take your word if I was you," Shaw said and stepped in front of Charlotte.  
"Ian, I'm not going to let you steal the declaration," Ben said.  
Ian stood up and looked at Ben.  
"Well, then you're going to be nothing more than a hindrance."  
As Ian said that, Shaw took his gun and pointed it to Ben. Riley made a noise further away and Charlotte straightened her back. She knew she could do something since Ian and Shaw were both standing right in front of her but she didn't have the courage to just jump to Shaw's back.  
"What are you going to do, Shaw, shoot me? You can't, there's more in the riddle. Information you don't have, I do. I'm the only one who can figure that out, you know that," Ben said and stared at these two men who didn't seem friendly at all anymore.  
Ian turned slowly to Ben.  
"Tell me what I need to know. Or I'll shoot your friend."  
Ian nodded to Shaw who turned the gun to Riley. Charlotte moved a little and thought again about doing something but then Ben lighted a burning torch and opened his mouth.  
"Look where you're standing. All that gunpowder. If you shoot me, I'll drop this, we'll all go up."  
"Ben?" Charlotte asked quietly.  
"What happens when the light burns out?" Ian asked grinning. "Tell me what I need to know, Ben."  
Ben gazed around.  
"You need to know… If Shaw can catch!"  
Ben threw the torch. Charlotte closed her eyes ready to die but there was no explosion. Ian had caught it.  
"Clever, really," he said and pointed Ben with it.  
That was a mistake. The burning light caught the fabric in Ian's jacket and lighted it on fire. Ian dropped the torch and it fell to the gunpowder. It flamed and forced all three, Shaw, Ian and Charlotte, who was standing behind them, to back off. Shaw tried to shoot Ben but didn't get him.  
"Get out, Shaw! And move the woman with you!" Ian shouted.  
Shaw turned and grabbed Charlotte's hand, pulling them out.  
"No, let me go!" Charlotte shouted to him but lost the fight.  
Shaw pulled them out and Ian followed them quickly.  
"Come on, let's go!" Shaw shouted to Ian's other men, "It's going to blow!"  
Everyone got to their vehicles and Shaw kept dragging Charlotte with him.  
"No, I'm not going!" she screamed, "Ben and Riley are still there!"  
"Leave her there, then! Come on now!" Ian told to Shaw and climbed to the vehicle.  
Charlotte took few steps towards the ship when it blew up. She fell on the ground and protected her head with her hands. The snow dropped back down in little pieces, not to mention the wood.

After a moment Charlotte got up. She could hear the vehicles driving away but didn't care. She ran to the ship.  
"Ben! Riley!"  
She pushed stuff away so that she could go forward. Soon she heard coughing and followed the noise. Ben and Riley were on the other head of the ship, unharmed.  
"Oh, thank God," she sighed and sat next to them. "You are alive."  
"Not thanks to Ian," Ben mumbled.

In few minutes they all got up.  
"There's an inuit village about nine miles east from here. We can get back to D.C from there," Ben said.  
"What will do with Ian? He's going to steal the declaration, Ben," Riley stated.  
"We won't let him," Ben said and kept walking.

Further away, Ian and his companions were almost back to where they came from.  
"Are you sure it was wise to leave the woman there?" Shaw asked.  
"We couldn't drag her with us, so there was no choice," Ian answered and kept staring outside the windows.  
"I mean, can she stop us? Or did we just condemn her to her death?"  
"She's a clever girl, she'll survive. But not fast enough to stop us," Ian said, "We will get the Declaration of Independence."


	3. Chapter 2: The Only Way

Chapter 2 – The Only Way

_Washington D.C_

Charlotte walked around her apartment trying to find out what she could do to stop Ian. She felt guilty because, in the end, she was the one who made that greedy man part of the whole search. And she didn't even want to talk about his henchmen.  
She knew that Ben and Riley were trying to talk to the FBI but she didn't believe that they would believe those two. She had experience with the agency and she knew they didn't buy things easily. Especially with something that was so safe in National Archives. The same thing was with the museum.

When Charlotte walked past her bookshelf, she glanced at the photographs in their frames. Pictures with Ben, with her friends and with her parents. She stared at her mother who seemed to stare back. Her mother's name was also Charlotte. Like her grandmother's and great grandmother's and so on. Every eldest girl in the family was named Charlotte. The rest could be whatever.  
Now, she heard her mother nagging in her head.  
_You might have given the greatest treasure of all time to the hands of a greedy man. You want the history to be forgotten? I didn't raise you for this!_  
Her mother was always interested in history and she tried to protect it. Sometimes she felt like the government betrayed her by letting everything to hands of politicians. She also taught her daughter to respect history and tell it to the people. That's probably why Charlotte got a degree in history and worked for the museum. And of course why she started the search for the treasure of Knights Templar.

Charlotte's thoughts were distracted by a ringing phone. She walked to it and answered.  
"Hallo?"  
"Charlotte, you need to meet us. Ben has gone insane!" she heard Riley saying.  
"Okay, where?" she asked.  
"In the Library of Congress, I'm trying to convince Ben that he really is mad," Riley answered.  
"I'll be there in 20 minutes."

In 20 minutes, Charlotte was walking two steps at time to the Library of Congress. She was afraid what Ben might have got into his mind.  
When she finally got to Riley and Ben, Riley was reading a book. As she came close, Riley turned his head.  
"His not insane after all. This could really work."  
Charlotte's face was marked with a question mark and she turned to Ben.  
"We're going to steal the declaration so that Ian won't," Ben informed.  
Charlotte's jaw dropped. She just kept staring him.  
"No, you're not. And first of all, you can't! It's not possible!"  
"Actually it is. We're going to do it during the Anniversary Gala when all the guards are focused on the VIP guests. They won't worry about the declaration," Ben said.  
Charlotte still stared at Ben but sat down next to him.  
"Explain."


	4. Chapter 3: The Theft

Chapter 3 – The Theft

Woman stands in her indigo gown and puts her necklace on. At the same time she slides her black hair away and stares.  
This is what Charlotte saw in the mirror in the evening of Anniversary Gala. The evening on which she would be stealing the Declaration of Independence with Ben. She was nervous even if she had had an invitation to the Gala like almost everyone in the museum. Ben would have the harder part because he had to perform as the staff.  
The clock moved and told to Charlotte that the cab would be waiting downstairs. She grabbed her clutch and walked out of the door.

The National Archives was decorated and lighted beautifully as Charlotte stepped in. A waitress brought her glass of champagne which she gladly took. Something to ease the nerves. She checked the time – still many minutes until they would get to preservation room to get the declaration. She could hear her mother's voice again – accusing her of betrayal and ignorance. She shook the voice out of her and at the same time felt someone's hand on her shoulder.  
"Charlotte?" a woman's voice asked.  
"Yes?" Charlotte said turning around.  
She saw Dr. Abigail Chase who worked in National Archives. They had been in the same seminar more than once and that's how they knew each other.  
"I thought it was you," Abigail said smiling and then pointed next to her, "May I present you Mr. Brown. He is a very big fan of historical facts as well and I just heard that he made a donation earlier. Mr. Brown, meet Dr. Charlotte Lane from the National Museum of American History."  
Charlotte turned to Mr. Brown who actually was Ben. She smiled politely and shook hands with him like they had never met.  
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Brown. I hope you are enjoying yourself tonight."  
"Indeed, I am," Ben answered.  
A second man joined the group and brought a glass for Abigail. Ben took her first glass and after that they toasted. When Ben was giving the speech, Charlotte wanted to hit him. He almost revealed himself. Gladly, no one said anything and Ben left.  
"Weird man. Earlier, he told me that someone was going to steal the Declaration of Independence and then that behind it would be an invisible map. Interesting, indeed," Abigail said afterwards.  
"Indeed. I hope you excuse me, I need to go," Charlotte stated and left the scene as well.

Charlotte and Ben met in front of the lift that would get them to down to preservation room.  
"I'm so going to be fired when we get caught," Charlotte said to Ben when they entered the elevator.  
"If we get caught," Ben corrected.  
"We will. No one gets through this without getting the FBI after them."  
They stepped out of the elevator when Riley had turned the observation rooms feed to non-live. When they stepped in the room, Ben started to get the declaration out of its frame.  
"Sure you don't need help?" Charlotte asked.  
"Yes, I'm sure."  
Suddenly Riley's voice hit to Ben's head. He lifted the frame.  
"We need to go. Riley lost the feed," he told Charlotte.  
They hurried back to the elevator. When they waited for it, the door in the other end of the hall opened and Ian stepped into the hall with his men. Immediately after noticing them, Shaw took his gun and started to shoot. Ben pulled Charlotte behind the declaration's frame which was bulletproof.  
"Now we're getting caught," Charlotte whispered.  
Luckily, the elevator door opened and they got in.  
"Ian's here," Ben said to Riley and then turned to Charlotte, "Meet me at the car. I'm taking the declaration."  
Charlotte nodded although she wanted to say no. But when the elevator got up, she left for the main door as Ben went to other direction.

At the door she nodded politely to the guard who opened her door and walked out. She saw the red van across the street and headed there. She didn't see Ben anywhere but didn't stop for waiting. She opened van's door and climbed in the back.  
"Ben's not here yet?" she asked as she closed the door.  
"Come on," Riley murmured.  
Charlotte couldn't see anything but soon the backdoor was opened and Ben put a scroll in. Charlotte was going to open her mouth but then Ben started to talk to someone.  
"What's that?" she heard someone asking.  
Immediately she knew who was out there. Abigail Chase. Ben had screwed up somehow.  
"A souvenir," Ben answered.

At the same time, alarm system of the National Archives went on, Charlotte could hear them. Soon Abigail started screaming and Ben jumped in front of the car.  
"Drive," he said to Riley.  
Riley started the van and was going to hit the road when Ben suddenly stopped him.  
"What is it?" Charlotte asked since she couldn't see a thing.  
"Not good," was Ben's answer when he climbed out of the car.  
Bullets hit the front of the car and Charlotte could hear Abigail screaming. Ben got back in the car and told Riley to drive. From the front window Charlotte finally saw a catering car whose driver drove like a maniac. Not that they had been any better, Riley was almost driving curves straight and Charlotte had to hang on to the seats just to stay put.  
"Why are we doing this, Ben? We got the declaration, we could continue our quest," Charlotte wondered while squeezing the seats.  
"Ian got Dr. Chase," Ben answered.  
Charlotte would have hit Ben if Riley had not just drove to a part of road which was under repair. She fell backwards. When she got up again, she saw Dr. Chase hanging on the door of the catering van and Ian and Shaw in the back. Ben jumped back, next to Charlotte, and opened the side door of their van.  
"Are you insane?" Charlotte screamed.  
She didn't receive any answer. Ben reached out to Dr. Chase and Charlotte grabbed him so that he would not fall.  
Dr. Chase finally took Ben's hand and they both crashed to the van's floor. Some bullets flew to the wall which made Charlotte to close the door as fast as she could. Riley turned the car to the side road.


	5. Chapter 4: Turning Tables

Chapter 4 – Turning Tables

Thoughts kept flying around in Charlotte's head while she waited with Riley in the bench. They were in such a trouble. FBI was definitely after them now and their little group had increased with one person – Dr. Chase. Charlotte was not happy about her joining in. True, she had refused to leave without the declaration and if she had left she would have told the FBI where they were heading – Ben and his big mouth and not too clever thinking. And yes, Dr. Chase was curious. But still, was it really necessary? Why couldn't they just tie her up like they did to Ben's father in order to keep him away from the trouble?  
Charlotte's thoughts were disturbed by a small boy running to them.  
"Here are the letters," boy said and gave Riley a post-it with numbers and letters.  
"Are you sure these are right?" Riley asked.  
"Have some trust to the child," Charlotte told him.  
Riley mumbled something but Charlotte didn't pay attention. She glanced around, ready to see either FBI agents or Ian Howe and his henchmen. She was tired because of all the running and the stress that this whole thing had caused. And she was sick of all the clues.  
"I got it!" Riley almost shouted suddenly.  
"You, what?"  
"I know what the next clue is! C'mon, let's get Ben and the mean declaration lady."  
Riley and Charlotte left the bench and headed to the clothing store where they had left Ben and Dr. Chase. And they had no clue that Ian was just a minute behind them.

"Time and shadow means a specific time!"  
Charlotte watched as Ben and Dr. Chase figuring out the clue. She didn't even listen to them, knowing that they wouldn't need her help anyway. They were only interested in each others. Ben's voice brought her back to them.  
"We missed it."  
Charlotte looked at them and raised her eyebrows.  
"Missed what?"  
"The specific time that would have brought us to the way to read the map. 2:22," Ben said.  
"No we didn't," Riley suddenly announced.  
Everyone looked at him. Riley's jaw dropped when he realised that he knew something that none of the others knew. After a moment, and orders from Ben and Dr. Chase, he finally told them. It was all about daylight savings – in 1776 the time would be one hour less than now.  
"Well, let's go then!" Ben ordered.

Riley, Dr. Chase and Charlotte waited Ben in the hall. Charlotte was sitting with her eyes closed.  
"How on earth did you ever get into this?" she heard Dr. Chase asking.  
Charlotte opened her eyes.  
"I wanted to find the treasure. And no, I didn't mean to be part of the whole stealing thing but it was the only option," she answered.  
"So... Are you and Ben together?" Dr. Chase asked curiously.  
"God no. We tried that years ago and we ended up almost killing each other. And actually, he's not really my type either," Charlotte laughed.  
So that what it was all about. Dr. Chase had a crush on Ben. Charlotte couldn't help grinning widely but stopped when Ben entered the room and gave strange glasses to Dr. Chase.

Ben took out the Declaration of Independence and they opened it. Then he put on the glasses he had brought and looked at the map.  
"This is extraordinary," he said, "Heere at the wall, spelled with two Es."  
Ben gave the glasses to Dr. Chase, ignoring Riley again completely. Then both he and Charlotte saw something – Ian's henchmen.  
They had never worked that fast. Declaration was put back in the scroll and glasses to a pocket. Ben took charges and ordered who should go where. He would be going with the glasses and Riley and Dr. Chase would go with the declaration. Charlotte would go without anything and that made her upset. Ben couldn't even think clear when Dr. Chase was around.  
"Okay, let's go," Ben said and they left the building one by one.

Charlotte knew none of Ian's henchmen had noticed her unlike they did Ben, Dr. Chase and Riley. She couldn't help but wonder why not. That on the other hand gave her a competitive edge – she saw Ian leaving the building and could follow him before meeting others at the car. For the whole time, Ian was talking or shouting on the phone and didn't pay any attention to the fact that someone could be following him. Charlotte had to run in order to keep up with his pace. She couldn't hear what he was talking about.  
It felt like Charlotte had been following him for several miles when he finally stopped – almost in the middle of the road. She saw Ian picking something up and realised what it was. At the same time she saw Dr. Chase and Riley on the ground getting up. Ian had a scroll in his hand. He had got the Declaration of Independence.  
Charlotte walked from her hiding corner and stopped next to Ian who looked a bit surprised. Not as much as Dr. Chase and Riley who were shocked by the fact that she didn't try to get the declaration from Ian.  
"You finally got it," Charlotte stated to Ian and watched Dr. Chase and Riley getting up, "It was about time."  
They still stared at her but once they heard the voices of Ian's henchmen they decided to run. Ian's henchmen ran to the scene.  
"Let them go! We got it," Ian ordered and turned to Charlotte, "Now, what is your plan?"  
"I like to be on the winning side," she answered, "Plus, I'm sure you will find better use to the treasure than Ben would. He would just give it to the people. You, on the other hand, would take the most of it. And I like that."  
Ian looked her with suspicion in his eyes. He looked at Shaw who had been chasing Dr. Chase and Riley earlier and was now catching his breath. Then he turned back to Charlotte.  
"I'm not sure whether I trust you or not," he started, "But you are the one who can help me to figure out the clues."  
"I'm happy to help you," Charlotte said and grinned.  
Ian told them to continue back to the car. He walked first with the declaration and Charlotte walked after him, next to Shaw.  
"You know," Shaw started, "I actually like the fact that you joined us."  
"At least we get to spend some time now," Charlotte smiled.  
She and Shaw had spent a few nights together before going to the quest. They had met when Ian introduced his loyal crew and then again at a bar. And then again one night, confirming all the travel issues. And then again that one night.  
Charlotte couldn't even remember how long they had slept together and how many times. All she knew was that she enjoyed Shaw's company although he wasn't one of the doctors, businessmen or lawyers she usually had dated. But maybe that was it. No one else knew about their relationship and during the travelling they couldn't really spend time together. But now... They might have a moment.


	6. Chapter 5: Getting Closer

Chapter 5 - Getting Closer

Charlotte yawned and stretched, she had just woken up to the first light of sun. Everything around her was quiet although she taught that Ian at least would be awake. She glanced around; Ian was laying on the sofa, still asleep, Shaw was on the floor on an old poor mattress. The others where in the next room, sleeping also on the floor. Charlotte was grateful that she got to sleep in the big, soft chair.

She stood up and went to the toilet. She washed her face with the cold water and stared at herself from the rusty old mirror. She looked horrible. And even more horrible was, that she could see her mother in herself in the mirror, shaking her head to her decision and her betrayal. Charlotte felt like she could cry but shook the thought from her head. This was her decision, and no one could understand it. Not yet at least.

There was a sudden sound from the bedroom, and that made Charlotte to return there. She noticed that Ian had got up.  
"Coffee?" Ian's voice asked from kitchen.  
"No thanks," was Charlotte's answer as she went to the kitchen.  
"Well then, we have an interesting day ahead of us, don't you think?" Ian asked and stared at her, while taking a sip of his coffee.  
"I'd say that you don't get rich every day," Charlotte said and sat in a chair.  
Ian couldn't say anything because all of sudden his phone rang. He obviously couldn't recognise the number but answered it anyway. Only a second after answering, he laid a brief glance at Charlotte and changed room.

Shortly after Ian left the room, Shaw walked in, scratching his head.  
"Morning."  
"Morning," Charlotte answered with a smile.  
Shaw yawned after which he answered the smile and came to her. He gently laid his hand on her neck.  
"It's been a while," he said.  
"Well, maybe you should have chosen your side more wisely," Charlotte snapped.  
Shaw laughed.  
"Says the turn-cloak."  
Charlotte burst into a laugh as well. Shaw pulled her up from her chair and close to him, and kissed her.  
"Where should we go after all this is over?" he murmured next to her ear.  
Charlotte couldn't answer because Ian walked back in the room, and she and Shaw quickly parted from each other.  
"Change of plans," Ian said, "We are going to get Gates from the FBI custody."  
"What?" Charlotte asked astonished. "FBI has Ben?"  
"Yes. They got him yesterday, and I just got a call from your dear friend Dr. Chase. She offered a fair deal, where we get Gates from FBI and we get to keep all of the treasure. Plus the last clues from Gates," Ian explained.  
"So you won't need me? Why the hell did I then join you anyway?"  
Charlotte was very upset, and she actually felt a bit betrayed herself.  
"Well, I can't trust you entirely because I don't know what goes on in the pretty little head of yours. Maybe you work for the FBI and just want to get us busted, or you just really need the money. Either way, I'm not ditching you, you can come with us. And after we get the treasure, you can go on with your life with Shaw," Ian said and laid his coffee cup on the table.  
"So I'm your key if something goes wrong, right?"  
"Pretty much, sweetie. You do your part, and you will get rewarded. That's how this team works."  
"Fine. But I'm not helping you to get Ben out."  
"Not important, I wouldn't even let you help," Ian laughed. "You will be waiting with me."  
Charlotte couldn't find words anymore, so she just walked out of the room and hit the door on her way. She was angry.

Couple of hours later, Charlotte was standing next to Trinity Church on Wall Street.  
"Heere at the Wall, Wall Street and Broadway," she mumbled to herself.  
Ian, who was standing next to him, did not hear her but was talking to his phone again.  
"They'll be here soon," he announced.  
They meaning Ben and Ian's henchmen, including Shaw, who had been getting Ben away from FBI.  
"I still can't believe you would trust Ben," Charlotte said.  
"More than I do you, sweetie."  
Charlotte sighed. Soon a black car turned to the street and parked near them. She saw Ben getting out of the car with Ian's men.  
"Are you okay Gates? Jump like that could kill a man," Ian greeted Ben.  
"Nah, you should try it sometime," Ben answered but was staring at Charlotte. "I can't believe you weren't trustworthy. All this time you just wanted the treasure for money?"  
Charlotte did not answer him but turned away. She wasn't up to all that at the moment.

Charlotte lost the track of time while staring the surroundings. She would still be staring them unless Shaw hadn't knocked her on the shoulder.  
"We are going inside the church," he told her.  
She nodded. At the same time she noticed that there weren't only she, Shaw, Ian and the other henchmen but also Ben and Ben's father.  
"What just happened?" she asked from Shaw.  
"Ian is holding all the cards," he answered.  
Charlotte bit her lower lip. This was not going according to the plan.

There was no one else inside the church. Ian told his henchmen to stay in the back with Ben's father and showed Charlotte and Ben in the front rows.  
"So, shall we see the next clue?" Ian asked.  
Together they rolled the declaration open and Ben put on the spectacles they had found earlier by the Liberty Bell.  
"Beneath Parkington Lane," he mumbled before handing the spectacles to Ian who put them on.  
"Parkington Lane," Ian said out loud.  
"No, beneath Parkington Lane," Ben corrected.  
"Why would the map lead us here, and then somewhere else?" Ian asked and was obviously surprised.  
"Parkington Lane is in this church," Charlotte suddenly stated.  
Both Ben and Ian looked at her with unnaturally wide eyes.  
"And you know this how?"  
"I know my... History."  
Neither of the men asked anymore questions but stood up. Charlotte followed them, and they moved to the aisle. Ian signed his henchmen to follow them. At the same time, Charlotte noticed that Dr. Chase and Riley had been joined to the group.  
"Well, the more the merrier," Charlotte sighed.

The whole group nearly ran to the crypts through several rooms. The graves stood in lines in the walls, with names engraved.  
"I found him!" Riley shouted. "He's here!"  
Everyone moved where Riley was standing.  
"Third-degree freemason, it must be him," Ben said, "Now we just have to..."  
He couldn't finish his sentence because Powell was already hitting the wall, breaking it. Soon the coffin was visible, and they took it out. Unfortunately the material was old, and the skeleton of Parkington Lane fell to the floor. Charlotte turned her head away, until the coffin was laid upon the skeleton again.  
Behind the grave was a tunnel, old and dusty but still there.  
"Who wants to go first?" Riley asked.  
Ian pulled his gun and pointed at Ben.  
"You and me go first."  
"I'll come with you," Charlotte announced.  
Ian shook his shoulders and pointed the tunnel.  
"Let's go then."


	7. Chapter 6: Dead End

**Chapter 6 - Dead End**

It was dark, dusty and even a bit cold in the tunnel. Spider nets hit their faces as they climbed their way through the tunnel. Suddenly, the darkness seemed to expand, and it somehow became easier to see. Charlotte didn't realise the end of the tunnel until she dropped to the ground, hurting her arm while trying to soften the fall. Ben seemed to have gotten off better than she, and Ian got the clue from her falling and landed safely to the ground.  
Ben had found a torch and lighted it. Noises behind the three of them told them, that the others were on their way as well. Charlotte was trying to see what was around her but it was still shady. All she could tell was that the space was old. Ben was helping others to get through the tunnel to them.  
Together they all walked through the path which lead them to more open space. There Ben noticed a chandelier and lighted it.  
"Give me a hand, let's move this thing!" he told others.  
Charlotte took one of the robes and Ben the other, and they lifted the chandelier were it should stand.  
"It's a shaft," Dr. Chase sighed.  
"Come on, let's go. We don't have the whole day," Ian ordered and began the stairs which went around the shaft.  
Charlotte could hear Riley mumble something about old wooden stairs but wasn't paying attention. She concentrated to get a safe step.

All of sudden, a noise filled the space. A subway went right above them, shaking the shaft and the stairs. As soon as it passed, it became silent again. Until she realised the stairs falling below her, and could hear Shaw, who was walking right behind her, scream out loud.  
"Shaw!" Ian's voice shouted.  
Charlotte screamed as well but was able to grab something. For her luck, Ian helped her up again. It seemed like the moment had passed, but all of sudden, she could hear Dr. Chase and Ben shouting, and loud noises of crashing wood covered everything.  
The rest of stairs on their level started to fall and crash. Ian pushed Ben's father and Charlotte to the nearby elevator and jumped right in after them.  
"Where's Shaw?" Charlotte realised when they were standing in the elevator.  
"Gone," Ian told her without looking at her.  
Tears filled Charlotte's eyes. She couldn't care less about Ben and Dr. Chase who were hanging above them, trying to save themselves and the Declaration of Independence.  
"No, he must have grabbed something. He must be somewhere. Or maybe he fell to the next level, he's alright, he must be alright..."  
"Damn it, woman, he's gone!" Ian shouted to her. "He fell through all those stairs! He's somewhere in the bottom of this bloody shaft, and I can assure you, he's not alive!"  
Charlotte had to sit on the floor of the wooden elevator. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ben, Riley and Dr. Chase but couldn't hear what they were talking. She was shaking and cold.

Before Charlotte realised, the elevator already stopped.  
"Get up," Ian told her, surprisingly gently, "And don't look at your right."  
She stood up and naturally glanced to her right. She saw a pair of legs, and turned her eyes away immediately. She shivered and walked to a small chamber with everyone else.

"Is this it?" Ian stared the empty chamber, "This is where the treasure should be?"  
There was nothing but a lantern.  
"This is it. Maybe they have moved the treasure," Ben answered. "This was all for nothing!"  
Ian stared Ben. Then he turned around, taking Charlotte by her hurt arm, and walked back to the elevator.  
"Hey, Ian, wait!" Riley shouted.  
"Is there another clue?" Ian asked and withdrew his gun.  
"Ian, there are no more clues," Ben answered, "Please take us with you."  
Ian shook his head and started the elevator. Charlotte saw Ben's father telling Ben something and glancing the lantern.  
"Wait!" Ben's father stepped forward. "Boston. Treasure is in Boston."  
Ian stopped the elevator and pointed him with gun.  
"Speak."  
"Thomas Newton. He was meant to put one lantern in the steeple of North church if the Brits came by land, two if by sea. One lantern. Boston," Ben's father explained.  
Ian looked at Charlotte who couldn't help but smile. She then nodded to Ian.  
"He's right."  
"Thank you," Ian said and was going to start the elevator again.  
"Wait, you have to take us with you!" Ben's father pointed out.  
"You will find a way out but not before I get the treasure," Ian stated.  
Before he could hit the mechanism of the elevator, Charlotte stopped him for a moment. She then signed Ben to come closer.  
"Remember,_ secret lies with Charlotte_," she whispered in his ear.  
"Obviously," Ben whispered back, "Because I can't figure out a reasonable explanation why you would join Ian and his greed."  
Charlotte stood up and showed Ian that they were ready to go. Ian started the elevator, and as they got higher, the others disappeared from their view.  
"What did you say to him?" Ian asked.  
"Nothing important. Just reminded him about something," she answered.  
Almost there.  
"Don't you think we should have taken Shaw with us?" she asked after a moment of silence.  
"We'll get him after we find the treasure," Ian answered sharply.

"I can't believe Charlotte works in the National Museum of American History. And that she has a Ph. D in American history," Dr. Chase stated when Charlotte and Ian were gone from their view.  
"Why is that?" Riley wondered, "Because she's a lying, mean woman who wants money and fame?"  
"No, because she of all people should know that there were two lanterns set by Revere - Brits came by the sea," Dr. Chase answered.  
"That is weird. But we have more important things to do," Ben said and caught their attention, "We are going to find the treasure."  
He then pushed the all-seeing-eye on the wall, and a door opened. Their way out.


End file.
